A Great Guest Post from Family Travel
My buddy Sheila at Family Travel just returned from what sounds like a fun family trip to Virginia’s “historical triangle” - Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown. She graciously offered to write a guest post for The DC Traveler. There’s tons going on in the triangle, and it’s not just limited to historical attractions.
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Virginia’s Historic Triangle with Kids
A Guest Post by: Sheila Scarborough, from the Family Travel blog
Just a few hours south of the Washington, DC metro area is a great place for families; Virginia’s “Historic Triangle” of Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown.
Now, before the kids start squawking that they don’t want to learn any “dumb history,” remind them that in between visits to places where our nation was born (which are fun, really!) they can also enjoy a theme park at Busch Gardens Europe, splash around at Water Country USA or even check out the surf action just a bit further south in Virginia Beach.
What’s not to like?
This region can be enjoyed in one action-packed week or in more 
manageable chunks over a few long weekends. With my children (ages 14 and 7) I found that everyone stayed pretty happy when I mixed morning visits to historical sites with more modern afternoon and evening diversions, like the awesome new Griffon roller coaster at Busch Gardens.
The living history sites like Colonial Williamsburg, the Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center have lots of costumed interpreters to engage the kids, and even parents will learn a lot. Many interpreters have been telling stories and teaching for years – the young man who was our Jamestown guide to 1600s musketry has been volunteering for over a decade. 
It’s a little confusing; the original Jamestown landing site (called Historic Jamestowne, with an ongoing archaeological dig to watch) and the actual Yorktown Battlefield are separate places run by the National Park Service. They are worth a visit, but if time is limited and your kids have a high “wiggle factor,” you can certainly enjoy just the living history locations.
All of the sites are within an easy drive of each other; some are only a few miles apart, and the attractive Colonial Parkway makes it easy to reach them. Here is a rough suggested three-day itinerary:
Day One: Spend the morning and have lunch in Colonial Williamsburg. The layout of the historic area is pretty compact, and most of what’s interesting is on the “main drag” Duke of Gloucester Street. If you start at the Merchant’s Square end of the street, you can end up near many of the colonial taverns for a delicious lunch. We liked the King’s Arms Tavern (try the peanut soup, and the pot pie and fried chicken are terrific, but reserve early.)
Here is a printable PDF map of the historic area. Don’t miss the dynamic Revolutionary City performances – they vary according to the day of the week and each one covers a different aspect of the Revolution. If your kids like music, take them to see Dean Shostak’s 45 minute Crystal Concert featuring a Ben Franklin-designed glass armonica. The sound is amazing.
Spend the late afternoon and evening at Busch Gardens Europe.
Day Two: In the morning, see Jamestown Settlement. There are meticulous replicas of the three tiny vessels that brought the colonists in 1607; step aboard the Susan Constant or perhaps the Godspeed and speak with sailor interpreters (ours was a super-knowledgeable guy from Australia.) Play quoits (ringtoss) in James Fort and discover the real story of Pocahontas and John Smith in the Powhatan Village. We spent so much time in the outside areas that we barely skimmed the surface of the museum exhibits at the front of the Settlement complex.
Have lunch there, and then perhaps spend the afternoon at Water Country USA. Bring your Tevas or water sandals – the water slides and rides are pretty spread out.
Day Three: Scope out the Revolutionary War at Yorktown Victory Center, a “unique blend of timeline, film, thematic exhibits and outdoor living history.” Again, the wonderfully detailed exhibits in the museum area received short shrift as my kids ran around and had a great time in the outdoor Colonial Army encampment tents and an operating 1780s farm.
For lunch and an afternoon adventure, consider eating at Yorktown’s Riverwalk Landing (pack those swimsuits; there’s a small beach) and catching the 2 p.m. sailing of the Schooner Alliance for two blissful hours on the York River. Kids can help raise the sails.
Start planning here: The VisitWilliamsburg Web site is very well organized, with links to all of the area attractions and information about packages based on your interests.
Places to stay: There are two large resorts at Kingsmill and Great Wolf Lodge. Both are so full of amenities and diversions that you may never leave them.
Kingsmill does welcome families and children with Kids Kamp, pools, a marina for boating, tennis, a kid-friendly Par 3 nine-hole golf course (Bray Links) and a spa for Mom, Dad and even kids.
Great Wolf Lodge is better for younger children, although all ages will be amazed by the massive indoor water park (there’s also an outdoor pool for warmer months,) an Aveda spa, video arcade, MagicQuest interactive treasure hunt, putt-putt golf and a small rock-climbing wall.
Other accommodations include well-located properties operated by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, including restored historic buildings and the more budget-minded Woodlands Hotel and Suites and the Governor’s Inn. For more info, see the lodging article on Frommer’s.
For those in the military, the General Smalls Inn at Fort Eustis is only a few miles away from Williamsburg.
Photo credits - Photos 2 & 4 - Sheila Scarborough, 1 & 3 - Flickr
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POSTED IN: Family Fun, Lodging, Scenic & Short Trips, Travel Tips – General Information
1 opinion for A Great Guest Post from Family Travel
Around the net: NASCAR, Colonial Virginia and press trips » TravelBlog Archive » Family Travel
Apr 15, 2008 at 9:41 am
[…] My friend and fellow blogger Jon Rochetti was kind enough to run a Family Travel guest post on the DC Traveler blog about travel with kids to Virginia’s Historic Triangle of Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown […]
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